


Almost

by babybaekxing



Category: EXO (Band), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Mild Sexual Content, Oneshot, some members of exo cameo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:12:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8392141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybaekxing/pseuds/babybaekxing
Summary: Can you tell me, how can one miss what she's never had?How could I reminisce when there is no past?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Started: 160219  
> Published: 160226  
> Finished: 160309  
> Word Count: 11,609  
> Song: Almost (Jessica Jung)
> 
> originally posted to my asianfanfics account @babybaekxing

_ _

 

_ Jessica met Kris Wu in fourth grade _ _. _

  
  
Moving to Korea to finish school wasn't on the top of Jessica Jung's list. And despite how many silent treatments she gave her parents, how many fits she threw, it didn't deter their decision to move back to South Korea, where they'd originally met.

"I can't even  _ speak _ Korean, Mom!" nine year old Jessica whined, in yet another attempt to convince her parents that staying in America would be the best option.

"I do. Your father does. We'll teach you and Krystal," was the only reply she got.

Krystal, her four year old sister, didn't seem to care that they were leaving America, moving to a whole new country, and were going to be learning a whole new language.

_ Krystal doesn't even understand it _ , Jessica thought bitterly. She was too young. She probably thought they were just going on a road trip.

Jessica huffed. She thought about her best friends, Sara and Bree, who she told everything to. Her crush since first grade, Will, who was practically her personal superhero, because he always stood up for her when bullies came to pick on her.

She doubted she would have that in South Korea. The kids her age were probably going to pick on her, because of her lack of knowlege of their language. She could imagine it now; kids her age, younger, and older than her, making fun of her in a language she couldn't even understand.

A loud grunt left her lips, and she stormed away from her mother, up the stairs, and into her room, closing the door behind her with a  _ thud _ .

"Jung Sooyeon!"

She huffed in response, throwing herself onto her bed. She hated the Korean name her parents insisted on. Why should she have to change her name? It was so stupid.

A knock sounded on her door, and she looked up as her father opened it. "You should start packing, Jess," he stated, pursing his lips.

"Can't I stay here with Sara and Bree? I don't  _ want  _ to move to Korea, daddy," she mumbled, her lips forming a pout.

Her father only gave her a long hard stare, then turned around and closed the door behind him gently, giving her a silent - but well recieved - message;  _ start packing _ .

 

_ Stupid _ . There was absolutely nothing wrong with staying here in America. It was four days before Jessica had everything she owned either packed or given to Goodwill, all things in between thrown in the trash. 

A day later, and the Jung family were driving to the airport, Jessica crying the whole way.

 

The first thing Jessica noticed upon arriving in Seoul, South Korea was that just about everyone around her were wearing face masks.

When she asked her father about it, he only told her it was cultural. They would be wearing masks like those on some days, too.

"Pollution is bad here, and they get yellow sand. It's bad for your lungs," he explained.

Jessica pouted.  _ Pollution in America wasn't that bad, and America didn't have yellow sand. If we stayed in America, we wouldn't have to deal with those ugly face masks _ .  "What's for dinner?" she asked, mainly to change the subject.

Her mother lifted a shoulder. "We'll probably order some takeout while we unpack our last minute things."

Jessica hummed, taking another glance around her. This was her new home, and already she didn't like it.

 

~O~

 

Jessica's mom waited until they were moved in and comfortable before she enrolled Jessica into the closest elementary school and Krystal into the closest kindergarten school she could find. A student that was fluent in both Korean and English would be spending time with Jessica, to help her learn the language, and act as a translator.

(Jessica's parents also hoped that Jessica would befriend the kid who volunteered for this.)

A week later, Jessica was getting dressed in her school uniform - a black skirt and a white blouse - and shoving black shorts into her backpack for PE class. Regular tennis shoes donned her feet.

She knew basic Korean - the most basic you could get. She knew how to introduce herself (though no matter how hard her parents tried, she refused to use her Korean name), and she knew simple words, like  _ sorry  _ and  _ yes, no, really _ . She even knew the phrases, _ I don't know  _ and  _ I don't care _ .

Writing those things were different; she didn't know a bit of how to write Hangul letters.

Her mother drove her to school, telling her she'd be back at 3:30 to pick her up. The kid that was supposed to be helping her would meet her in the school.

Taking a deep breath, Jessica bid her mother goodbye and grabbed her backpack. Getting out of the car, she made her way to the school, her head kept down. Kids around her spoke quietly to one another in rapid Korean, and she felt her face heat up.

_ What if they're talking about me? _ she thought, her grip on her backpack tightening.

"Sooyeon?"

Her head lifted, and she met eyes with a boy not much taller than she was, his brown hair cut short. "My name is Jessica."

The boy's face relaxed, and he gave her a gummy smile. "I'm Kris Wu; I guess we should head to class?" he responded, his English as fluent as her own.

Jessica's frown shifted, and she gave him a small smile. "I guess."

 

Kris's presence was something Jessica enjoyed, but that didn't mean she didn't miss Bree and Sara.

Or Will.

The fourth grade classroom was located through the door across the gym, down the hall, second door on the left. Most kids were already in class, either sitting at their desks and picking at the edges and corners or sitting on one another's desks, talking. The teacher sat at her own desk, looking at papers.

"Why isn't she doing something about the kids?" Jessica asked quietly, frowning.

Kris shrugged. "There's still a few minutes before class starts. Come on."

Jessica hummed and followed him to the teacher's desk, shifting when the teacher looked up. Kris spoke to her quickly, only few words making sense to Jessica.

When the teacher called the class to attention, Jessica felt her face heat up. All eyes were on her.

"Introduce yourself," Kris whispered, nudging her slightly.

Jessica did so, stuttering as she bowed (another thing she didn't like - why did she have to bow to everyone??), her face heating up even more.

Kids in the back laughed, and the teacher shot them a stern look. "Can you...introduce yourself in English?" she asked, hesitant in her second language.

Jessica bit the inside of her cheek.  _ Why? It's not as if the kids will understand her anyway. _ Still, she relented. "Hi, my name's Jessica Jung, and I'm from California. I don't want to be here," she stated, smile on her face.

The class smiled back, none of them really knowing what she'd said, but Kris huffed next to her. "You're nice," he muttered, his tone sarcastic.

Jessica shrugged.

The teacher sent her to a desk next to Kris, a frown etched onto her face as she started the lesson.

~O~

At lunch, Kris made sure she sat next to him ("You don't know anyone else here, and they don't know English, so what's the big deal? Besides, it's not fun to be alone all the time," he responded when she asked why she couldn't sit by herself or with other girls).

~O~

It became a daily routine; meet Kris at school, sit next to him all day, have lunch with him and maybe study some Korean with him, and then finish school and go home.

Kris lived across the street from her. When her parents found out, they invited the Wu family over for dinner.

Eventually, Kris and Jessica became distant friends. By sixth grade, Jessica had become fluent enough in Korean that she didn't need his help in class anymore.

By seventh grade, her mother brought up the issue of her behavior.

"You know, Kris is only trying to help you," she chastised, crossing her arms.

Jessica shrugged. "Kris seems happier with his new friends," the thirteen year old stated from her bed, where she'd been reading a book.

Mrs. Jung pursed her lips. "Why don't you guys go watch a movie or do whatever it is you teenagers like doing nowadays?"

"We're not dating."

"I never said anything about dating, Sooyeon."

Jessica closed her eyes. "That's what kids who date do, Mom. Besides, Kris doesn't even glance at me when I walk into the room anymore."

"Have you ever thought that maybe it's because you barely spare him a glance when you guys are sitting next to each other? I'm calling Mrs. Wu."

"Mom!"

"I'm doing it!"

And that's how Jessica ended up sitting on her front porch next to Kris Wu, the humidity of the pre-summer weather making her miserable.

Everytime she snuck a glance at him, he was always staring at his hands.

Jessica cleared her throat. "How - how have you been lately?" she asked, finally catching his attention.

Kris shrugged. "So-so. You?"

Jessica mimicked his action. "So-so."

Silence.

"I'm sorry my mom interrupted whatever you were doing to call you over," Jessica tried again, pulling her knees to her chest.

Kris gave her a side-glance. "I was just watching TV. Nothing special."

Jessica nodded. "I guess." She paused for a moment. "Do you want to go to that park by Junmyeon's house?"

His eyes lit up. "Can I bring my basketball?"

Jessica rose an eyebrow. "You play basketball?"

Kris rolled his eyes in a playful manner. "You really should get more involved in your friends' lives, Ice Princess. I'll be back in a few."

__ That's how she got the nickname of Ice Princess.  
  


At the park, Jessica sat on the swings and watched as Kris showcased his skills in basketball, using his height to his advantage. Already, he was as tall as most of the eighth grade boys in their school.

When he came back to her half an hour later, drenched in sweat, Jessica took the ball from his hands and gestured to the empty swing next to her. "You're pretty good," she murmured.

Kris smiled. "I'm gonna be a professional player when I'm older," he stated, confidence emitting from him in waves. "And then you'll be able to say, _ Hey, I knew Yifan _ ."

" _ Yifan _ ? You're going to use your  _ Chinese  _ name when you play basketball," Jessica deadpanned, smiling slightly.

Kris laughed. "Maybe. Have you thought about what you're going to do?"

"No. I'm thirteen, let me live my childhood in peace,  _ Yifan _ ," Jessica teased, laughing when his cheeks turned a light pink.

"You'll have to really start thinking about it in two or three years, so why not get a head start?"

Jessica shrugged. "I'm probably just going to be the lame bank attendant friend of the famous basketball player. I bet every basketball player has one of those."

Kris chuckled. "Yeah, but you still wouldn't be my  _ lame  _ friend, no matter how hard you try, Jessica."

Jessica rose an eyebrow. "You wanna bet, FanFan?"

Kris gave her an amused look. "What do  _ you  _ have to bet?"

She shrugged as she stood up. "I'll buy you an ice cream cone."

Kris smiled. "Deal."

Jessica laughed and sat back down on her swing. "Hey, if friends were flowers, I'd pick you first, Kris."

Kris rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "Yeah? That's because I'm your  _ only  _ friend. Try again, Ice Princess."

Jessica huffed and pushed his shoulder, cringing when her hand came in contact with his sweat. "Ew! Kris!"

"You did it to yourself!"

Jessica huffed. "Okay. Fine. You know Adele?"

"Yeah?"

"Why'd she cross the road?"

"Why does it matter?"

"So she could say hello from the other side."

"You are such a dork."

"I win." She smiled widely, twirling the ball in her hands.

"I said dork, not lame," Kris stated, kicking the bark chips under his feet.

"Same thing. You're getting ice cream."

And just to spite her, Kris also bought her an ice cream cone as well. "You'd better eat it, or it'll be wasted!"

Jessica huffed. "You didn't have to, Kris."

"I wanted to, and that's all that matters. Eat up, Sica."

Jessica huffed and flicked his forehead, accepting the cone from him. "Only because you insisted."

Kris laughed. "Right."

~O~

When Jessica and Kris got into high school, neither saw one another often during school hours, due to the drastic difference in their schedules; Jessica was taking classes to get into a good college for accounting, and Kris was on the basketball team.

After school hours, however, were a different story. Going to the library to study and do homework became their meet-up place. On the weekends, they went to the local cafe, using their time there to do excess homework and catch up on whatever drama went on in the span of the week.

Jessica looked forward to those times; it was a nice break from school life - and besides, in her opinion, nothing was really better than spending time with Kris. She could be herself and tell dumb jokes with him or (if they went to the park by Junmyeon's house) watch him play basketball and laugh at him everytime he missed the basket.

"You're mean," he always commented, a smile on his face nevertheless.

Jessica shrugged. "Just how you like 'em," she teased, sitting on her swing. She stole the ball from him when he got close enough, tossing it in the air and catching it. "Just imagine when you're older, how many fans you'll have? Most of them will probably be girls, too."

Kris laughed and stole the ball back. "I know - I mean, look at this hot guy, girls can't help but drool over him."

Jessica rolled her eyes and squinted, purposely looking everywhere  _ but _ at Kris. "Where? There's nobody around us, FanFan."

Kris huffed. "That's a low blow to my ego, Ice Princess."

Jessica only laughed and pushed him back to the basketball court, shaking her head with a smile on her face when he sent her a wink. "You are  _ so _ cunning, Kris!" she called out mockingly, laughing again when he blew a kiss at her.

"Only for my number one fan!"

 

College was a different story. After their high school graduation, Jessica moved to Northern Seoul to attend college, and Kris got into a college for basketball somewhere east of Jessica's college.

Unlike high school, there weren't many times that they met up; and whenever they got the chance, it was only for an hour before one of them had another schedule to attend to.

"I've missed you lately, FanFan," Jessica mumbled over the phone. It was 1:30 in the morning.

Kris laughed quietly.  _ "Come see my next game. This Friday, at five." _

Jessica smiled and played with the fringe on her blanket. "I wish I could, but I have a class until seven that night," she murmured, a sad undertone to her voice.

Kris hummed.  _ "You're still the least lame friend I have." _

Jessica laughed quietly and stifled a yawn - but not well enough.

_ "It's late; you should go to sleep." _

"That means you should, too."

_ "No promises." _

"You'd better promise; you have a game in two days, you need to be rested up."

_ "If I do promise, do you promise to send me a good luck message before my game starts?" _

"Always. Goodnight, FanFan."

_ "Goodnight, Ice Princess." _

That's how they talked to each other, always waking up the next morning exhausted.

_ Good luck, FanFan~ _

_ Kris smiled at the text. His team won that game. _

Jessica had never been happier when she discovered Kris's graduation was a week after her own. At least she could attend his, and vice versa.

When her name was called, and she walked up to the stage to get her degree from the principal of the college, Kris's cheer was the only thing she could hear above her own thumping heartbeat. She felt as if her heart was in her throat, and she gave the principal a shaky smile when she shook his hand and he murmured, "Congrats."

When she stood with the rest of the graduates, she searched the crowd for Kris, smiling when she found him and waved.

At the end of the graduation, Kris gave her a tight hug and twirled her in a circle. "You did it, Ice Princess."

She laughed and pushed her face into his neck. "What about you? You're next week, FanFan."

Kris set her down and gave her a smile. "Yeah, but that's next week. This is now. Congrats, Sica."

Jessica smiled and hugged him again. "Now I just have to find a job."

"That's the easy part, isn't it?"

Jessica wasn't so sure about that, but it didn't hurt to try.

A week later, and it was Kris in the black robe and graduation hat, collecting his certificate from his own principal, and Jessica screaming  _ Yifan _ louder than any of the girls had done at his games. Her throat hurt like hell afterwards, but when she saw his smile, it was well worth it. Especially after the graduation ended and Jessica was able to give Kris a hug.

_ That was the first time Kris kissed Jessica. _

Immediately afterward, his face turned red. "S-sorry, I just -"

Jessica kissed him again, effectively cutting him off. "Oh, shut up."

 

That night, Kris took Jessica out to dinner, and they spent the night at his house, watching movies and eating popcorn.

He wasn't the least bit phased when he woke up on the couch, Jessica cradled in his arms so she wouldn't fall off.

He laughed when she woke up and panicked. "I have an interview today, I'm sorry, Kris, but I have to go," she murmured, rushing around to find her purse, jacket, and shoes.

"It's fine. Good luck with the interview, Sica."

 

Moments before the interview, Jessica called Kris. "FanFan, I'm nervous," she stated, pacing in the lobby area.

Kris laughed.  _ "Don't worry - you'll be fine." _

"But - what if I do something stupid, and they blacklist my name?"

_ "Can they even do that?" _

Jessica flushed. "I don't know -- but if they can, I'll be  _ doomed _ . Don't laugh at me, Kris!"

Kris tried (and failed) to conceal his laughter better.  _ "You'll be fine - if you worry, you're just adding stress to yourself, and you don't need that, so stop it. And if they don't hire you, then I guess it's their own fault they're missing out, right?" _

Jessica was 99% sure she didn't get the job.

"I probably wouldn't have liked it, anyways," she mumbled to Kris when he met her for coffee. "The man interviewing me wouldn't stop calling me Sooyeon."

"Well, that  _ is _ your Korean name," Kris bluntly stated.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I even told him I preferred to be called 'Jessica', and he was like,  _ Okay, Sooyeon _ . Besides, I don't see people calling you  _ Yifan _ ."

Kris shrugged. "Yifan's my  _ Chinese  _ name. Here, I go by Kris." She huffed, and he chuckled. "Anyway,  _ you _ call me Yifan."

"Not all the time!"

Once again, he shrugged. "Got me there, Sooyeon."

She glared. " _ Yifan _ ."

He smiled. "Kidding."

~O~

It was two weeks and seven interviews later that Jessica knew she would finally be hired. 

"You're positive?" Kris asked, resting his chin on her head. They were lying on the couch together, watching a variety show on the TV.

Jessica nodded. "The lady - I think her name was Yuri? - was really nice, and said she'd call me when the schedule was put up this Sunday."

Kris gave Jessica his signature gummy smile. "See? Even though you flunked seven other interviews, you still managed to get a job!"

Jessica only laughed and slapped his arm, turning her attention back to the show.

 

__ It was a year and a half after Kris graduated college that he was drafted into a basketball team.  
  


The notice came two times; once in the form of a letter, another in the form of an e-mail.

"Jessica, read this," Kris requested over dinner, passing her the letter.

She glanced down at her food. "Can't it wait until after dinner?"

Kris shook his head. "No." He bit his cheek to keep from smiling as she read the letter, laughing at her expression when she finished. "See? What'd I tell you? You'll be able to say,  _ 'I know Yifan', _ " he teased.

Jessica rolled her eyes, the smile never leaving her lips. "You mean I'll be able to say,  _ 'My boyfriend's Wu Yifan' _ . Congrats, babe."

Kris's smile widened into a bashful one, and he looked down at his plate. "Thanks, baby."

 

Kris's first game was the night of their second anniversary of being together. His jersey number was 00.

Sports news reporters were everywhere in the stadium, trying to get a shot of the new players. Jessica hugged Kris's arm tightly as they wove through the crowd, smiling uncomfortably when paparazzi snapped a photo of the two of them. Things were shouted at Kris, but he either couldn't understand what was being said (which was understandable; Jessica herself was having a hard time deciphering the questions, despite the fact that they were in Korean, because of how many were shouted at a time), or he was ignoring them.

Either way, he didn't look too phased.

When they reached the bleachers that were reserved for family or spouses of the players, Kris gave Jessica one last peck on the lips. "You gonna wish me luck?" he murmured, smiling lightly.

Jessica returned his slight smile. "Do I  _ have _ to?" she teased, laughing when he pouted. "Good luck, hubby. Maybe if you win, I'll give you something special tonight."

His eyes lit up. "What?"

"Ice cream."

"Meanie."

She chuckled, but kissed him again. "Go win another game, FanFan."

Kris's team didn't win, but his coach was happy with his performance, and that's all that mattered. He signed the contract to stay with the team for five years.

 

__ The first time Kris and Jessica were intimate in bed was on Kris's birthday.  
  


It was the first game Kris had won with his new team, and the fact that it'd been on his birthday had made him happier than ever.

Jessica was the one who hinted at it, and Kris was the one who stated, "But we don't have condoms."

She flushed at his bluntness. "I'm on the pill, FanFan."

And that was how Kris and Jessica ended up naked together under the sheets, him above her, and gently easing his hardened length into her warm cavern. Their fingers were interlaced together next to her head, and she squeezed, her breath hitching when he was completely seated inside her.

"Okay?" he murmured, kissing her forehead.

Jessica nodded. "Okay."

He started slow, gasping when she lifted her leg to hook around his hip, and he was able to go deeper, earning a low moan from her as she threw her head back. "There?"

_ "There." _

Neither of them lasted long, but neither cared, both too caught up in the moment. Even when Jessica woke up the next morning with her lower half aching, she still wouldn't have had it any other way, shifting so she could snuggle closer to Kris.

"How do you feel?"

Jessica met his gaze lazily. "Sore," she mumbled, reaching up to play with his hair. "But it feels amazing."

Kris flushed slightly, his hand rubbing her lower back gently. "I tried to be gentle."

Jessica smiled and allowed her hand to trail down his chest and draw shapes. "Gentle or not, I would still be sore, FanFan. How sore are  _ you _ , hm?"

He smirked. " _ I  _ actually work out several times a week. How many times do  _ you  _ go to a gym, Sica?"

"Okay, Mr. I Play Basketball For A Living, but I'm sorry, I just work at a bank. The most exercise I have to do is lift things or walk."

Kris smirked and lifted her leg back up his hip sharply, pulling her closer to him. "We  _ could _ increase your libido easily, you know," he murmured, a low chuckle leaving his lips when her face turned pink.

"We could also get up and do something productive today," she squeaked, pulling away from him.

Kris laughed. "You're precious."

Jessica only made a face at him and wrapped the blanket around herself as she grabbed her clothes and made her way to the shower.

 

__ Kris was only on the basketball team for seven months before Jessica got into the car accident.  
  


News reporters knew before Kris himself did. He was in the middle of a game, his phone back in the locker rooms, turned off.

They had discussed it the night before; Jessica wouldn't be able to make it to Kris's game, due to her schedule. She had a late shift, and both had agreed that it would be best if she just went home and waited for his game to finish.

Jessica just wanted to surprise her boyfriend. If she'd just passed one more light and made it into the parking structure, she would have succeeded.

Unfortunately, two lights before the parking structure was an intersection; she was passing through it when someone ran the red light and T-boned her.

She was lucky; there was an ambulance at the basketball game on stand-by that got to the accident within moments.

She wasn't so lucky when her head hit the window hard enough to cause memory loss of her boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with Kris.

~O~

Kris's team won the game.

He was beyond happy; it meant that they were going to be in the play-offs.  _ The play-offs _ .

However, his happiness turned to confusion when he came out of the locker rooms, sweat washed away, and the reporters began asking,  _ Are you going to visit Jessica in the hospital? _ and  _ Are you worried about your girlfriend's well-being? _

Everytime he was asked, he only stated, "I don't know what you're talking about." Jessica was at home, probably lying in bed and asleep. She'd worked a long day. Hell, he'd even gotten a text from her saying she was on her way home, and she missed him.

Besides, paparazzi were always going off of rumors, and it wasn't the first time a rumor had been started stating Jessica was in the hospital.

 

About halfway home, he got the call; Jessica was in the ICU at the local hospital, because she'd gotten into a car accident.

 

Kris wanted to scream. He felt frantic, sitting on the side of the freeway, his emergency blinkers on. "You're sure we're talking about the same girl? Jung Sooyeon? Jessica Jung?"

The operator on the other end didn't hesitate.  _ "We're positive, Mr. Wu. The doctors think she'll be fine - a broken bone or two - but she's being moved to room 243 -" _

Kris didn't wait for the woman to finish speaking. He hung up instantly and began the drive to the hospital, ignoring the people who honked their horns at him.

~O~

The woman at the front desk recognized him immediately. "Room 243 is where you're headed. She might be asleep by now."

He barely spared her a glance and mumbled a half hearted  _ thank you _ , rushing to the elevator. He tried repeating  _ she's fine, she's okay _ , in his head like a mantra, but the only thing that (seemingly) was chanted back was  _ what if? _ What if she had brain damage? What if she broke a bone so bad that the doctors had to do an amputation?  _ What if? _

When he got to her room, she was just nodding off. "Jessica," he breathed out, rushing to her side.

She gave him a slight smile. "Hey, FanFan. Broke my leg." Sure enough, her left leg from the kneecap down was casted with hot pink.

"How do you feel?" he murmured, reaching up to brush the hair from her face.

Jessica gave him a strange look and gently pushed his hand away. "Fine. The doctors aren't making any sense, though. They think I graduated college." She laughed, but her tone was tense. "And they think we're together. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Kris felt as if a bus had slammed into him.  _ Isn't that ridiculous? _ "Did you  _ tell  _ the doctors?" he asked. His mouth felt like it was full of sand.

Jessica shook her head. "I waited until you showed up so we could both tell them."

His throat tightened. "I need a minute." He carefully disentangled his hand from Jessica's and stepped out of the room, leaning against the wall to the side.  _ Why? _

"Is everything alright, sir?"

He met eyes with a young doctor and pursed his lips. "Are you Jessica's doctor?"

"I am."

"She doesn't remember being my girlfriend.  _ She is not as fine as you think she is. _ "

The doctor rose her eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"Fucking positive."

The doctor didn't seem to believe him. "Let's go talk to Jessica, then," she sighed, tucking her clipboard under her arm. When she was settled down, she scooted closer to Jessica and began checking her vitals. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

Jessica pursed her lips and glanced at Kris. "We aren't dating," she stated bluntly.

Kris avoided her gaze.

"Actually, you are," the doctor replied, hardly sugar coating a thing. "You've been together for quite a while."

Jessica's head snapped towards Kris. " _ No _ , we're only  _ friends _ , right, Kris?"

Kris turned away, and Jessica frowned.

"What's going on?"

The doctor - Bae Suzy, if the nametag was correct - cleared her throat. "From what I can see, you've got slight amnesia from the car accident."

" _ Slight? _ How can this be  _ slight? _ " Kris snarled, finally breaking his silence. "She lost  _ months _ . Two  _ fucking _ years. How the  _ hell _ is this  _ slight _ amnesia?"

Doctor Bae flinched. "Mr. Wu, some people have amnesia worse than what Miss Jung is experiencing -"

" _ Two years? _ "

Eyes turned to Jessica. She was frowning harshly, a line formed between her eyebrows showing her concentration.

_ Jessica's stay in the hospital was three days long. _

The morning of her release, Kris hesitated. "Sica, we're in Northern Seoul," he murmured, frowning slightly.

Although her parents were well aware of her accident and injuries, they didn't live anywhere  _ near _ Northern Seoul.

"I know," she mumbled, getting adjusted on her crutches. "Is there a spare room in your...house?"

"Apartment. And, no, there isn't. I'll sleep on the couch." His throat tightened, but he cleared it and looked away. "Are you feeling alright?"

Jessica nodded. "I'm just tired, is all," she murmured.

Since her accident, she'd come to terms with the fact that she was dating Kris (though because she didn't remember the relationship, they decided a hiatus would be ideal for now) and was trying to be as comfortable with that information as possible.

She couldn't deny that she found Kris attractive. She'd found him attractive back when they were in seventh grade, all the way through high school. Even in college (obviously, since they apparently got together when Kris graduated).

"So you're famous now," Jessica stated, trying to end the silence as they walked to the car.

Kris lifted a shoulder. "They just know me as  _ Wu Yifan _ . And I think I may have more fangirls than actual basketball fans."

A small laugh left Jessica's lips. "Of course you would," she teased lightly.

Kris flushed, suddenly feeling like they were in high school again. "Hey, I can't help it." They reached the front doors, and Kris's humor deflated like a popped balloon. "You should probably keep your head down," he mumbled, defeat in his tone at the sight of the paparazzi.

Jessica didn't argue. She let Kris pull the messy bun out of place so she could veil her face with her hair, then followed him out the automatic doors to the car.

 

Although she was positive she'd never experienced paparazzi before, something about the whole situation made her feel nostalgic. The paparazzi followed them (on foot, mind you) for three blocks before disappearing completely, and Kris pulled into a fast-food place.

"Want ice cream?"

Jessica smiled, a giddy feeling forming in her chest. "Just a kid's size."

"A small."

"No - really, Kris, I only want a kid's size."

He eyed her, then turned to the drive-thru monitor. "Two small cones, please."

"Yifan!"

He gave her a small, crooked smile before driving up to the window he payed at. "If all else fails, I can always finish your ice cream, Sica."

She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue. Nevertheless, she still finished her ice cream.

~O~

When they reached the apartment, Kris began feeling awkward. All he wanted to do was to take Jessica to bed with him and hug her to his chest, keeping her from all harm possible. He wanted to make the night of the accident disappear, despite the fact that his team had won a game.  _ Jessica was much more important than a game _ .

Jessica settled on the couch while Kris made dinner (ramen; his cooking skills weren't the best) and watched TV, quickly finding a channel that was - surprisingly - playing Kris's last game.

The crowd was full of banners with  _ Hwaiting Yifan! _ or his team number, and Jessica smiled. When Kris finished cooking, he settled behind her, so her back was pressed against his chest, their feet resting on the other arm of the couch, and watched the game with her.

They were on the second quarter when the news of Jessica's accident was relayed, and the reporters began wondering why Kris wasn't notified.

_ Which was a damned good question _ . Had his coach even  _ known  _ about the accident? Where did the communication go wrong, for him to  _ not _ know his girlfriend was in an accident?

Jessica soothed a hand up and down his knee when she noticed his tenseness, as if it was only a habit for her (which it probably was). Either way, it worked, and as soon as Kris relaxed, she pulled her hand away and began eating again.

His heart ached slightly, and he leaned down so his forehead could be pressed against her shoulder. When she didn't tense up, he allowed himself to relax, looking back up and began eating again.

~O~

The first time Kris had to help Jessica with the shower, she tried not to be awkward.

Kris had already told her that they'd had sex before (he was very blunt about it), so it wasn't as if he'd never seen her naked before.

But she didn't remember  _ any _ of it. Hence, she felt awkward  as he helped her out of her pants and drew up a bath for her, murmuring a  _ thank you _ as he walked out, her face flushed.

  
  


The days wore on, and Kris's hopes for a quick recovery were crushed when three months later, Jessica barely remembered their first date. She'd quit her job, but Kris earned enough money for them to live comfortably anyway.

At first, she wanted to study, finish the college degree she didn't remember finishing, but it wasn't satisfying; by the time she finished reading the first textbook, she felt as if she'd only done a review. It felt like deja vu.

That was the first night Kris let his guard down and she managed to get him to share the bed with her.

"What if I roll over and roll onto your leg?" he mumbled, pursing his lips.

"Then I guess I'll have to kick your ass, FanFan. I doubt you would, anyway. Please? It's really cold," Jessica pouted.

"There's more blankets in the closet."

"Kris, don't act like you don't miss your own bed. You've been walking around like an old grandpa from sleeping on the couch."

Kris gave her a small smile. "Only if you promise to stay on your side of the bed."

She reciprocated with a wide smile. "I'll try, but I'm pretty sure you know how much I flail around in bed."

Kris snorted. When they first got together, he'd woken up from her kicking him in the middle of the night at least twice a week. "No kidding," he muttered.

Jessica narrowed her eyes playfully. "What was that?"

Kris refrained from smiling. "Nothing."

Jessica didn't keep her promise; when Kris woke up the next morning, her chest was against his back, and she was hugging him tightly from behind, her broken leg propped up on his hip.

Easing out of her grasp, he got up and went into the bathroom, staring at himself through the mirror above the sink. So much had happened in the last several months, it felt surreal. Although he accepted the fact that Jessica's memory of their relationship was gone, he still had trouble getting over it.

"FanFan?"

His heart clenched, and he splashed cold water on his face. "Just washing up, Sica."

She hummed from the bed, and by the time Kris came back, she was already asleep again.

_ He should make breakfast _ . Running a hand through his bed hair, he located his socks from the bedding (he had a habit of kicking them off in the middle of the night) and slid them back on, then glanced back at Jessica. Heart pounding in his throat (though he knew she wouldn't hear him), he murmured, "I love you so fucking much."

After he left, the door closing gently behind him, Jessica's lips curved up slightly, and a small tear trailed down her cheek. "I remember our first kiss," she murmured to the emptiness of the room, pulling the blanket closer to her.

~O~

Jessica waited until she and Kris were settled comfortably on the couch before she told him.

"So I had a dream last night," she started, poking his arm to get his attention.

Kris glanced down at her. From this angle, she could see the dark circles that were forming under his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I - I was graduating, then then you were."

At that, she could tell she had his full attention. "Really?"

Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced down. "And at your graduation, you kissed me."

His smile made telling him completely worth it. "And then I apologized -"

"And I told you to shut up and kissed you again."

He laughed, the hearty sound making her heart flutter. "Was that all you remembered?"

Jessica flushed lightly. "Yeah. I just - I just thought you should know."

Kris smiled widely and hugged her closer to his chest. "Well, thank you, Ice Princess." A shy, tender kiss was pressed against her temple, and Jessica hummed in content.  _ It only took three months, but still, he was happy she was regaining some memory back _ . 

At noon, Jessica and Kris got ready to go to the gym; Kris, because he needed to practice, and the team members would be meeting up there anyway, and Jessica, because she  _ hated _ being home alone.

Park Chanyeol met them at the doors, helping Kris block Jessica from the paparazzi. "Junho, Changmin, my  _ biggest _ paparazzi fans, good to see you guys again, but I'm sorry, this is a  _ private _ gym. Pictures taken here aren't allowed to be used in  _ anything _ , and I'm sorry to inform you, but those lovely pics you've taken of these two handsome men -" At that, he paused and gestured between himself and Kris "- and this beautiful young lady on crutches are completely useless. I will sue if I see them anywhere." He gave a fake wide smile. "Have a nice day!"

And with that, the three of them disappeared into the gym.

Jessica glanced up at Chanyeol. The man stood just barely shorter than Kris, and was wearing his jersey;  _ 61 _ . "That was all a lie back there, wasn't it?"

Chanyeol smiled. "Complete bullshit - except the fact that this is a private gym, because it is - but they don't need to know that, now do they?" He cackled with laughter, and Kris's lips twitched upwards.

"Is coach here yet?" he asked, finally pulling Chanyeol's attention away from the paparazzi.

"Yeah. He was wondering if Jessica was gonna come or not." Chanyeol paused to open the gym door. "Everyone misses you, Sica."

The gym was decorated from top to bottom with streamers and banners, wishing Jessica a speady recovery and stating what Chanyeol had just informed her of;  _ We Miss You, Jessica! _

Her breath caught in her throat, and she glanced up at Kris; he obviously didn't know about it, because he looked just as shocked as she felt.

The whole team was there; Minho, Lay, Luhan, even short (but energetic) Baekhyun was there, waving from the far corner, where he was getting a drink.

Kris eyed Chanyeol. "I thought we were practicing," he mumbled.

Chanyeol shrugged and gave Kris a small, crooked smile. "You can't have Jessica all to yourself, you know; we kinda miss her too, since she never comes to our games anymore."

Jessica flushed lightly. "I came to one!"

"Out of twelve!"

"Well -"

"Ladies, ladies, let's not all get into a big argument. How have you been feeling, Jessica?" Baekhyun effectively interrupted, smiling at his scowling teammates.

Jessica smiled. "Hello to you too, Baek."

 

__ Jessica and Kris became intimate in bed once more roughly a year after the accident.  
  


Jessica's amnesia, for the most part, had gone away, and her leg was healed. Only little things surprised her now, and while they were lying in bed, in the dark, Kris brought up their lack of bed intimacy.

"Jess?"

She hummed, touching his shoulder lightly to let him know she was listening.

"We've been together for three years. Roughly."

Again, she hummed, shifting closer to him. "I know," she murmured softly, smiling against his shoulder.

Kris fought back the butterflies in his stomach and the tremble that threatened his voice. "And we haven't had sex since before the accident," he murmured back, catching her small hand in his own, larger one.

Jessica's eyelashes tickled his arm as she blinked. "Are you trying to tell me you want to have sex?"

Kris blushed, feeling as if she'd electrocuted him with her words. "Kinda."

Beside him, Jessica flushed bright pink. They'd gotten to the point where sleeping together half-naked had become the norm of their relationship, and currently, Kris only wore his boxer briefs and sweat pants, and Jessica was donning panties and one of his jerseys. "I stopped taking birth control because of the pain medications the doctors prescribed me, remember?" she mumbled, fingers moving to lightly drum against his well-toned stomach.

Kris's flush deepened, and he knew without seeing that his chest was turning red. "Well, I could always go out and buy condoms. Tomorrow. Or - just whenever you feel comfortable," he stuttered, coughing slightly.

Jessica laughed. "I love you, FanFan-ah," she murmured, blindly kissing him. She got his cheek.

Kris smiled. "Love you too, baby."

 

Two weeks later, Kris bought the condoms. And a night after that, Kris was holding Jessica to his chest tightly, his length pumping in and out of her at a quick pace. Unlike the time before, when their sex time was short, now, it was long. Satisfyingly long.

Jessica woke up sore the next morning, and she absolutely loved it. Kris was passed out on the bed beside her, his lips curved up into a slight smile.

"Baobei," she murmured, using the little Chinese she'd learned from him.

Kris hummed lightly and turned into her voice, groaning as he tucked his face into her neck.

A small laugh left Jessica's lips, and she drummed her fingertips against Kris's hip. "Baobei, let's go to the park today."

A grunt left his lips, and he shook his head. "Sleep."

She smiled and pushed her fingers through his hair gently. "We can't sleep all day, FanFan," she teased lightly.

"Can too."

"We'll get nothing done."

Kris shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. His "Fine by me," response was muffled by the pillows as he rolled over more.

Jessica laughed, crawling over him and sitting just above his bum, ignoring the fact that they were both stark naked as she began to massage his shoulders. "Please, Yifan?" she murmured, leaning down until her lips brushed against his neck.

Kris bit back a smile and shook his head. "Sleep," he muttered in a less determined tone.

Jessica pressed her chest to his back. "Yifan..." she whined, pouting against him.

Still, Kris was relentless. "Sleep." He did, however, crack an eye open to look at Jessica and give her the smallest smile. "Sleep sounds better than interacting with other people in public."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'm assuming you had a good dream, then," she murmured, relaxing so her weight was fully on him.

Kris was hardly phased. His hands ran down her thighs until they reached her kneecaps, and he used them to hold her legs against his hips, as if he was giving her a piggy-back ride.

Except they were lying in bed, with no intentions of getting up soon.

"It was an okay dream," he replied, lips curving upward when Jessica kissed the corner of them. "Would've been better if I could've finished the dream, though."

Jessica hummed and trailed a light finger from his temple to the dimple that barely poked out. "What was it about?"

Kris's cheeks warmed up a bit. "It was a dream, so it should be kept secret, right?"

Jessica chuckled, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. "Not really, but if you insist," she teased. "I thought you were too manly to chicken out on telling me your dream, FanFan."

Kris smiled lightly. "I thought I showed you just how manly I was last night." His voice had dropped a few octaves, and suddenly, it was Jessica's turn to flush. "If I remember correctly,  _ you _ were screaming at me -"

"Yifan!"

"Well, yes, but a little less whiny, and a bit more -"

" _ Yifan _ ."

He finally smiled widely, laughing when Jessica tried to withdrawal, only to be held back by the grip he had on her legs. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing."

"You're not funny, Yifan," she mumbled.

Kris smiled more and glanced up at her. "I love you?" he tried, gently squeezing her thighs.

Jessica turned away. "You shouldn't say it like a question," she huffed.

Kris chuckled. "If you forgive me, then I'll get up and go to the park with you," he offered.

Immediately, he had Jessica's attention. She smiled and gave him a kiss full on the lips before jumping off the bed. "Dibs on first shower!"

To say the least, Kris snuck in with her and made love to her against the shower wall.

 

_ Going to the park with Kris felt like middle school all over again. _

 

While Kris practiced his basketball skills, Jessica sat on the swings and watched. And, just like middle school, every time he missed a basket, she always laughed.

"Nice shot, Yifan," she teased when he came over to rest on the swing next to her. He threatened to wipe his sweat on her, and she squealed out, "I'm kidding!"

Kris chuckled. "I've made more shots than what I've missed, anyway. Why don't we see how good  _ you  _ are at shooting hoops?"

"I'm probably too short for it," she stated, dismissing the idea quickly. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder; how was  _ she _ supposed to make a basket, if even  _ he _ had to jump to achieve his goal?

Kris wasn't ready to give up, though.  "Oh, come on, if Baekhyun can make a three-pointer shot, then I bet you could, too." With that being said, Kris pulled Jessica off the swings and towards the basketball quart, positioning her at the half circle that represented the three-pointer line. Gently pushing the ball into her hands, he gestured towards the hoop.  _ Give it a shot _ .

She gave Kris a doubtful look, but tried anyways. When she missed, she started back towards the swings. "Told you I'd miss."

Kris caught the ball, then grasped her hand, preventing her from leaving. "It's because you threw the ball wrong," he murmured. "Pretend you're reaching into a cookie jar and tilt your hand downwards when you throw the ball. Jumping a bit helps, too. Now try again."

_ Just enlighten him, and maybe he'll let you off the hook easy _ . Biting her lip slightly, Jessica accepted the ball from Kris again and tried his tips.

_ This time, she made the shot _ .

An excited squeal left her lips, and she retried the shot several times before challenging Kris to a mini-game.

It barely lasted two minutes before Kris was using his tallness to his advantage, holding the ball above his head, where she couldn't reach it.

"Personal foul!" he screeched when she jumped on his back to try and regain possession of the basketball.

Jessica laughed. "Yeah? What about  _ being mean to girlfriend _ foul? Isn't it against the rules to not bounce the ball, Yifan?"

He smirked. "Maybe if you payed more attention to basketball, you'd be able to point out all the fouls and rules I'm making and breaking, baby."

Jessica huffed. "That's not fair, Yifan!"

"Is to me!" he shouted back delightfully, shooting a basket from half quart with Jessica still on his back.

She screeched and cheered from her position on his back as revenge.

A laugh left Kris's lips, and he squatted so Jessica could jump off his back. "You know, they say being nice to your boyfriend and giving him everything he wants is a good way to get taller," he murmured, smiling widely as he captured Jessica in his arms.

Jessica stood on her tip toes to wrap her arms around his neck. "I’m not naive, Yifan," she murmured, smiling. "I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work."   
Kris smiled, but pressed his lips against her own, hugging her tightly against his chest. "Wo ai ni, baobei," he whispered, smiling when she flushed. "Don’t you forget it, either."

 

~O~

 

Jessica’s birthday came, and Kris wasted no time in making sure that there wasn’t a game playing that day (not that he would’ve gone, anyway) and they had condoms.

 

He woke her up with kisses, littering them all over her collarbones and shoulders as his thumbs rubbed gentle circles on her hips. "Happy birthday, baby," he murmured when she groaned.   
Jessica hummed a thank you out and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "You never woke me up like this on any of my other birthdays," she mumbled, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.   
Kris smiled. "Well, maybe I had something special planned for today." His lips ghosted over her neck, and she fought back the whimper that wanted to leave her lips. "More specifically, this morning."   
Jessica flushed as she realized Kris’s position over her, and their lack of clothes. Once again, she was donning nothing but his jersey and panties, and he was in his boxers. "What exactly did you have planned?" she hummed out, biting her bottom lip.   
Kris smiled. "It includes you moaning," he whispered, nibbling along her jawline. "And being my perfect baby."

Jessica gasped as he began kneading her breasts, flicking her nipples through his jersey. "Kris.."   
He smiled more, lowering himself so their lower regions were pressed against one another lightly. "Do you want…?" he murmured, care in his tone.   
Jessica nodded, pulling his head towards hers and kissing him. "Always."   
"Always."

  
  
  


"I want to marry you."

Jessica blinked up at Kris. He wasn’t even blushing, his eyes dazed out from his high. "What?"   
"I want to marry you." He paused for a moment before rolling onto his side so he could face her. "I want a house full of kids and I want to wake up every morning with you next to me. Maybe even a dog or cat."   
Jessica flushed slightly as the image formed in her mind.   
"And I want to be able to have sex with you without protection, because the condoms are really annoying."

 

A laugh left Jessica’s lips, and she slapped his chest, blushing at the cheeky smile on his lips. "Maybe later tonight, we’ll have sex without the condom. Only if you’re nice to me, though," she murmured, kissing the surprised reply away from him. "I love you, Yifan."   
"Oh, I’m Yifan now?"   
Jessica flushed lightly. "Shut up." She hid her face in his shoulder, her flushed cheeks only turning a darker color when his chest rumbled with laughter.   
"I love you too, Sooyeon," he murmured, smiling and holding her tightly to his chest when she tried pulling away.

 

~O~

 

Kris proposed to Jessica on their fifth anniversary.

 

By that time, going out on dates seemed pretty...normal. It wasn’t something that either one of them considered "special" anymore, especially after five years of being together.

 

So Kris went to the next big thing he could think of; he rented an isolated cabin in Jeju and surprised her with the idea of going two days before their anniversary.

 

"How much did this cost, Yifan?" she murmured, holding the brochure he’d given her as if it would burst into flames.   
Kris smiled. "Am I in trouble for treating my beautiful girlfriend on our anniversary?" he murmured, pulling her into his arms.   
"No. But...Kris,  _ Jeju _ ."   
"I know. I bought the plane tickets and rented the cabin."   
"How much did it cost?"   
"Irrelevant."   
" _ Yifan _ ."   
"What? It’s not like I can’t afford it." And it was true; Kris’s basketball career had hit off. He had no intentions of leaving the team, even though Baekhyun had left a year ago and the coach got cancer. As it was now, he’d earned enough money that the two of them could probably live very comfortably for the rest of their lives.   
"You’re such an idiot." The smile in her voice and on her face took the sting away from her words, and Kris’s smile widened.   
"Love you too, baby. But - speaking of Jeju, we should probably start packing. We have to get up at five in the morning to catch our plane."   
"I hate you."   
He smiled.

  
  
  


To say the least, when the alarm clock went off at five in the AM the next day, neither Kris nor Jessica wanted to get up.   
However, considering Kris’s phone was an annoying piece of shit device, the alarm continued to go off for half an hour (although, he supposed he should be annoyed with himself, considering he set it to go that way, but it was easier to blame technology) and rendered it impossible for the two of them to fall back asleep.

 

"I volunteer as tribute to throw your phone out the plane window," Jessica mumbled, grabbing her clothes and walking towards the bathroom.   
Kris raised his hand. "I second that," he mumbled back, throwing the said device at the wall.

  
  


At the airport, hundreds of fans had somehow gotten the news of Kris’s plan for their anniversary (how Jessica hadn’t known if they did was beyond him) and showed up to send him and Jessica off to Jeju. Most of them shouted words of farewell and things about having a safe trip, and some of them even tried saying things in horribly accented Chinese.

 

Kris didn’t mind; in fact, he thought it was cute of his fans to do that, and loved it all.

 

On the plane, Jessica couldn’t help but notice that all the seats around them were vacant.

"Don’t tell me this had something to do with you, too," she murmured, gesturing to the empty chairs.   
Kris smiled. "You can sit in any of these?" he tried, laughing when she smacked his arm.

 

She chose the seat farthest from him, moving every time he tried to sit close to her. "You said I could sit in any of them!"

  
  
  


The cabin Kris rented was beautiful, to say the least. It was small, but everything about it seemed to scream  _ elegant _ . (It probably cost a fortune, too.)

"You really shouldn’t have, Yifan," Jessica murmured, clutching his hand tightly as they walked through each room.   
"Too late for a refund," he joked back, smiling at the shy look she gave him.

"Wasn’t asking for one, and you know it," she mumbled, pulling him in for a kiss.   
He smiled against her lips, pecking her one last time before pulling away. "Let’s look around after we unpack," he murmured. "We’ll get a tan on the beach, or something."   
Jessica scrunched her nose. "Did  _ you _ pack sunblock?" she asked.   
Kris rose an eyebrow. "I thought you did."   
"...No, I didn’t."   
"Fuck."   
Jessica laughed quietly, shaking her head. "It’s probably still under the bathroom sink, then," she murmured. "How about we go to a store after we unpack and get what we need from there,  _ then _ go to the beach?"   
"Sounds like a plan, captain."   
A flush hit Jessica’s cheeks, and she hid her face in his shoulder, huffing when he laughed at her. Untangling herself from Kris, she pulled her luggage bag into the last room; the master bedroom.

 

As expected, it was big. The window had a beautiful view of the ocean, and there was even a balcony to walk out onto. Pale blue curtains made of silk hung to the sides. Matching sheets donned the large bed, a folded, sea shell blanket folded neatly at the end.   
Unlike the rest of the cabin, the floor was carpeted in this room, and Jessica slipped her shoes off to revel in the feeling of the carpet between her toes.

 

"Do you like it?" Kris murmured, sitting on the bed.   
Jessica smiled and let go of the handle of her luggage bag, crawling onto the bed to sit behind him, massaging his shoulders lightly. "I love it," she whispered, nuzzling her nose against his neck.   
He hummed, leaning back against her and pulling her hands down to his stomach. "Let’s skip unpacking for now," he suggested. A playful smile lit up on his face, and Jessica felt one tugging on her own lips.   
"Why?" she asked, leaning forward until she could see his face.   
Kris didn’t answer; instead, he stood up abruptly, and Jessica had no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist to prevent herself from falling.   
"Yifan!"   
He laughed, jogging lightly through the cabin with her bouncing on his back, her own giggles reaching his ears more than her protests. When he finally paused, out of breath, they were in the lounge room, and he dropped her carefully onto the couch before plopping down next to her, throwing his head back.   
"You are such an idiot, oh my god," Jessica stated, her tone venomless as she placed a hand over her racing heart.   
Kris winked at her. "Just how you like ‘em," he teased, rolling over to kiss her gently. Jessica laughed and pushed him off of her. "Go get your shoes on, and we can get the sunscreen. Don’t think I didn’t notice that new swimsuit you tried hiding from me."   
A laugh left her lips, and she got up, turning to glare at him playfully when he slapped her bum lightly. "Yifan!"   
"You like it, admit it!"

 

~O~

 

If Kris thought going to Jeju on their anniversary would mean no fans would bother them, he was wrong.

  
During dinner alone, five people came up to their table before they even got the meal, and Kris was forced to ask for a private room. It was his anniversary with his girlfriend; not just a standard date.   
Though Jessica claimed she wasn’t bothered, he could tell she was much happier when they had a room to themselves.

 

"Sooyeon."   
Jessica turned her glare onto Kris. " _ Yifan _ ," she whined, pouting.   
He chuckled. "Well, it should be  _ formal _ , considering what I’m going to ask you."   
Her gaze turned to confusion, and she dropped the pout. "What are you talking about?"   
Kris smiled. "Well… considering we’ve been together for what… five years? I just - I really like being with and around you. A lot."   
Jessica rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, you should, since I’m your girlfriend, you giant dork," she teased, slipping her heels off so she could kick his shin lightly under the table.   
Kris laughed, boldly reaching across the table to catch her left hand, his thumb running across her fingers. "I should," he agreed, smiling at their hands fondly. "I want to spend my life with you, though."   
Jessica blinked, Kris’s words from so long ago ringing in her mind.  _ "I want to marry you. I want a house full of kids and I want to wake up every morning with you next to me. Maybe even a dog or cat." _ Back then, she’d just brushed it off as his after-sex talk (because no matter how rough he got in bed, he was still mushy after sex, and it always warmed her heart) and hadn’t paid those words any attention. "Yifan…"   
"No, I’m serious, Jess. I want to spend my life with you. I want kids, animals, hell, grandkids would be nice one day. But I don’t want it with anyone but  _ you _ ."   
Only then did Jessica notice that his hands were shaking, and his eyes were nervously skirting between her own two.   
"What do you say?"   
Suddenly, Jessica felt as if she was watching a 1940’s movie, and she shook the thought from her head. "Yifan - I-"   
He pulled out a black velvet box and set it in the middle of the table, opening it carefully so she could take a look. Inside, sitting neatly on a silver band, was a ruby red stone. Rose gold velvet surrounded the ring, and Jessica’s breath caught in her throat.   
" _ Yifan _ ."   
He regarded her nervously, and in all the years Jessica had known him, she’d never seen him look so nerve-wrecked. "Will you marry me, Jung Sooyeon?"   
She stared at him, then down at the ring, then finally at his hand. His thumb had paused on her ring finger, where (if she said yes), the ring in the box would soon end up. "You fucking idiot, yes," she mumbled, bringing her free hand up to wipe a tear away. "Yes, I’ll marry you."   
Kris’s face went slack for a moment, and then his big, dorky, gummy smile appeared, and he fumbled to get the ring out of the box and slip it onto her finger.

 

Except the ring didn’t fit.

 

Jessica left the restaurant laughing, while Kris was following her grumbling.

  
  


The next day, Kris finally got to see Jessica in her new swimsuit. They’d both gone out on the balcony and sat on the reclinable chairs, clad in their swimwear, and stinking of sunscreen. "I love you," Jessica murmured, turning her gaze to Kris.   
He smiled. "It’s impossible  _ not _ to love me," he teased. "But I love you, too."   
Jessica huffed, then rolled onto her belly. Kris copied her example, his hand soothing along her back before reaching her ass and patting it gently. "Yifan," she warned, turning to glare.   
He chuckled, but pulled his hand away, closing his eyes and enjoying the peacefulness of the moment.

 

*~O~*

 

The first time Jessica wore her engagement ring was at one of Kris’s games. The paparazzi immediately caught sight of the beautiful ring, screaming at the couple for explanations as to  _ when _ ,  _ where _ , and  _ why _ the proposal was made and done.

Their questions went ignored.

 

Kris brought Jessica to the locker rooms and let her in when he deemed the boys to be dressed enough for her to see (only Baekhyun was shirtless, though that didn’t last long anyway). "Jessica and I have something to announce," Kris stated, catching his teammate’s attention quickly.   
"She’s pregnant!" Tao, a Chinese transfer, shouted in his accented Korean.   
Jessica flushed, and Kris laughed. "No. We’re getting married."

 

To say the least, the whole team was almost late for the game, due to the ruckus they caused when congratulating the two.

 

Kris’s team won the game.

  
  


_ The first time Jessica and Kris had unprotected sex was the night before their wedding. _

 

It wasn’t planned - it really wasn’t.   
They didn’t regret it, though; even when Baekhyun and Chanyeol burst into their room to wake them up at six-thirty in the morning and were met with the couple lying together naked, the room smelling heavily of sex.

Instead of Chanyeol jumping on the bed and Baekhyun screeching  _ It’s time to get up in the morning, the morning, the morning _ like they’d originally planned, Jessica and Kris were woken up by Chanyeol’s abnormally high pitched screech and Baekhyun screaming, "Cover your eyes, Yeollie!" whilst trying to jump on the giant baby to do the job himself.

 

Kris groaned, rolling over and exposing more of his nakedness to his two friends while Jessica scurried to cover herself up with the sheets, rubbing her eyes blearily. "Why are you guys here at -" she paused to look at her phone "- six-thirty?"   
"Today’s the wedding and -  _ God _ , Yifan, put some fucking clothes on!" Baekhyun screeched, finally achieving his goal and covering Chanyeol’s eyes.   
Kris laughed, shamelessly walking around in all his naked glory. "It’s not like you haven’t seen it before," he teased.   
Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "Being in the locker room and being  _ here _ are two different things, dickhead!"   
Rumbling laughter left Kris’s lips, and he turned back to his closet. "Yeah yeah. We’ll meet you guys in the lounge."   
"More like  _ we’ll _ meet  _ you two _ at the church to be baptized," Baekhyun muttered.   
Kris only laughed more as his friends walked out of the room and sauntered back over to Jessica. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers firmly. "I love you, baby," he murmured, repeating his previous action.   
Jessica smiled against him. "I love you, too," she whispered back, her hand sliding up his chest. "Go hurry and take your shower so I can take mine."   
"We could always take one together, you know. Save water… and electricity," he murmured between kisses.   
Jessica laughed quietly. "You know we wouldn’t  _ just _ end up showering," she mumbled, pushing against his chest lightly.   
Kris kissed her nose. "You dirty minded girl," he teased, relenting. A smile formed on his lips at her flushed cheeks, and he ruffled her hair before disappearing through the door.

  
  


The park they decided to have the wedding at was closed to the public, with only family and close friends (aka the basketball team) able to come. Kris’s mother tended to her makeup with Jessica’s mom did her hair, both commenting on how gorgeous the gown was, or how happy and proud they were of the marriage.   
"I always knew you two would end up together, you know," Mrs. Jung murmured as she braided her daughter’s hair.   
Jessica resisted the urge to roll her eyes, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Mrs. Wu was working on her eyeshadow, and she didn’t want to mess it up. "Sure you did, Mom," she teased.   
"I did! Remember when I made you go play with him when you were younger? I  _ knew _ ."   
Even Kris’s mom laughed at that, and Jessica took the opportunity to look up and kiss her mother on the cheek. "Keep on telling yourself that, mommy."   
A gentle knock sounded on the door, and Krystal poked her head in. "I still can’t believe Yifan proposed to you," she teased.   
Jessica rolled her eyes. "You’re just jealous it wasn’t you," she jested right back. Krystal’s blush told her she was right, and her younger sister stuck her tongue out childishly.   
The mood sobered up as Krystal stepped into the room, and the two mothers went back to work. The wedding started in just a few moments. "So have you guys talked about kids?" Krystal hummed out, sitting next to her sister.   
The question caught the attention of the mothers, and though they continued their tasks, Jessica knew they were listening. "We’ve talked a few times. He really wants them, though," Jessica murmured, flushing lightly. "We’re waiting until after we’re married before we really try."   
"So after today," Krystal deadpanned.   
Jessica laughed, nerves in her voice. "After today," she confirmed. A lump formed in her throat, and she willed it away.  _ Now was not the best time to start crying _ . Not after Mrs. Wu put so much effort into her makeup.

 

Mr. Wu knocked on the door. "The bells are ringing," he announced.

 

Immediately, Mrs. Jung finished Jessica’s hair, and Mrs. Wu added the last touches to her makeup before rushing out. Krystal gave her sister a shaky smile before grabbing the two bouquets off the vanity before them; one for herself, and the bigger one for Jessica. "Hwaiting!" she whispered, kissing her sister’s cheek before rushing away.

 

Jessica smiled and stood up, holding her bouquet in her hands tightly before moving to accept Mr. Wu’s extended arm. "Ready?" she asked, smiling up at the man that was soon to be her father-in-law.   
Mr. Wu chuckled. "Shouldn’t  _ I _ be the one asking you that?"   
Jessica smiled. "Perhaps."

  
  


Jessica’s nerves didn’t hit until she was standing in front of Yifan, and he was smiling at her with the biggest, most genuine smile she’d ever seen. "You’re beautiful," he murmured, catching her hands in his own.   
Jessica gave him a shaky smile, wanting nothing more than to push her face into his chest as the preacher started his speech.

 

When the vows and rings were exchanged, Jessica felt the lump return back to her throat. This time, though, she couldn’t will it away.   
And when the preacher stated, "You may kiss the bride," Jessica couldn’t help but throw herself at Yifan and kiss him harshly, tears streaking down her cheeks.

 

_ Neither would have it any other way. _

 

 

 


End file.
